It was the last morning and as usual I was up early. Not
only for the sunrise but because due to my gimpy, gooey toe status, I was in
the early start staggered group. AND we got a ride across the river to the
starting line, so no early morning feet/shoes immersion into the chilly water
at the start of the race. The biggest bonus of the early start was that I
actually got to see the race. The rest of the competitors had their staggered start
about 45 minutes after we were sent off. It wasn’t long before the front
runners came charging up the path and raced on by us on their way to the finish
at Karakorum and the Erdene Zuu Monastery. The rest of the running pack was
soon to follow. It was so awesome to see everyone in action and cheer them on
as they passed.

Rounding the final
corner and entering the impressive monastery grounds to the finish line was
epic!

Woohoo! Finishing is winning!

The frosting on the
cake was having my training partner waiting for me at the finish line to put the
medal around my neck.

What an amazing MonGOlia experience
trekking my way through the beautiful green valleys and hills, trees and
temples, rocky peaks, sand dunes, lightning storms, pouring rain, roaming cows,
goats, sheep, running horses, and river crossings with some really awesome new
friends! So grateful and extremely HAPPY! Thank you to Racing the Planet for
the opportunity to participate in this race and visit this beautiful country. A
huge thank you to the crew, volunteers, and medical staff who supported and
took care of us while we were out on the trails.

After a long layover in Seoul and a seemingly never ending
flight back, I am finally back home and WTF it is still Monday??? Time
travelled again. My MonGOlia adventure is complete with a follow up ER visit
for the infected toe and a prescription for additional antibiotics. Time to
pour a glass of wine and get these cankles elevated. Cheers to the poor person
who had to security check my suitcase. I know what’s in there and how bad it
smells.

For more information on the Race and Mongolia check out
these resources: